Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-08

managed 20 keep lew sous, looking fol-
ward TO Monday, when his thirst must
again be satisfied. and II was for this
small balance OF his wages that his wife
struggled. Arthur never yielded il
easily.
Since tell you, he exclaimed, that
| have spent il all on drink Without
answering word, she would angrily
catch hold of him, and with her whole
strength shake him, search through his
clothes aud empty his pockets In the
course of a few minutes | could hear
money roll upon the ground, the woman
seizing it with "A cry of triumph.
oh, ! was right. you see,' Then an
oath heavy blows: the drunkard was
taking his revenge. After once giving
vent TO his passion nothing could arrest its
flood All that is evil or destructive in
the vile liquor sold at low drinking shops
rose to his brain, seeking an outlet for its
wild frenzy. The wife screamed, the
children, rudely startled from their sleep,
began To cry, and the very furniture of
the miserable howell seemed to echo these
dismal, heartrending sounds. The win
dow would he thrown open in the alley,
and some could be heard explaining:
1T is Arthur, only Arthur Occa-
siOnally the father-in law. an old rag
picker living in the next house. would
run to his daughters assistance; but Ar
thur, fearing interruption, always took
the precautiou Of locking the door Then
would ensue through the keyhole between
the father and his ,On-iu-law revolving
dialogue full of horrible details:
All, robhcr,'' the old man would cry,
were your .wo years in Jail not enough
for you:' and the drunken wretch loudly
answering:
Yes. for two years l was in prison;
what of that, | at least have paid my
debt to the world Why do you not do
the same"
1t was Arthur's habit 10 regard the
matter in this li:ht He had stolen, he
had served out his time for the theft, So
he and society We're once more upon
an equal footing. But it was hard
to convert the ragpicker TO this view. SO
that when the latter persisted in his
taunts Arthur would become more iuri-
Gus and, rushing out, would fall upon
father -in-law, mother-n- law, neighbors,
heating them one and all like SO many
puppets.
However, he was net bad fellow at
heart. Very often on Sunday. after
one Of these frequent exhibitions Of
cruelty, his thirst subdued and his pock-
cts empty, he would pass the day at
home Nine. Weber, Mime. Matthew and
their neighbors would carry their chairs
out upon the balcony, and there they
would sit and gossip On these occasions
it was Arthur who WAS the wit and at
traction Of the party. You might almost
have fancied him TO be one of those model
workingmen who spend their evenings in
lecture halls. He would speak in sweet
and well modulated tone, and, proliting
by current ideas, would advocate the
rights # labor and denounce the tyranny
of capital. His wife, weak from the
blows of the preceding night, would
glance at him with evident admiration,
nor was she alone in this. What if dear
Arthur did amuse HIMSELF sighed Nine.
Weber.
Then the women would urge him to
sing, and he, amiably consenting, would
give them something Of Beranger's. OH!
what q sonorous voice. full of affected
pathos and vibrating with the senseless
sentimentalism of his ciass.
Beyond the moldy, tar painted platform,
tattered clothes wer'. drying. and here
and there between the lines IA patch of
blue sky might he 81 Ell at which these poor
creatures would gaze with moistened eyes,
longing in their fashion for a glimpse of
the ideal.
In spite of all this, however, Arthur,
on the following Saturday, would squan
der his wages and beat his wife Think,
then, of the young Arthurs, who as the
years advance, will i'll turn waste their
earnings and abuse their wivcs.-Trans-
lated for The New York Evening Post
from the French Of Alphonse Daudet.